But this experience I’m about to share, I’ve never seen or experienced before. My mom and I decided to visit a local salt mine turned into underground city for halotherapy. The place is located in Ocnele Mari. Once we got there, we were taken by bus 29 meters into the ground. When the gates opened, we were truly impressed. The ceiling was 20 feet high and the area was over 40,000 sq meters, with 2 restaurants, a race track, movie theater, art gallery, store, basketball court, soccer and other games. All undergrounds, surrounded by massive walls of salt.

What is halotherapy?

Salt is known to have a bactericidal and cleansing effect, partly due to it’s negatively charged ions. By breathing in the salt aerosols, the lungs detoxify and the immune system strengthens. Halotherapy is used to prevent as well as treat certain conditions. Doctors recommend it for:

• respiratory problems, such as asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, emphysema, ear and throat infections, sleep apnea
• nervous system problems, such as stress, chronic fatigue, insomnia, depression, anxiety
• skin problems such as eczema, psoriasis, acne and dermatitis
• digestive problems, including oral infections, such as thrush
• endocrine problems, including thyroid issues and metabolic problems
• smoker’s detoxification

When in the salt mines, it was recommended to breathe through the nose and through the mouth, so that the mucosa of the mouth and throat can come in contact with aerosols as well. The size of the salt particles suspended in the air are between 0.1 and 0.9 microns. They stick to the skin or mucosa surface making the cellular membrane become more fluid and elastic, cleaning out any infection in the areas exposed to the aerosols. 30 minutes is all that’s needed to get the benefits of salinotherapy, but it doesn’t hurt to stay longer.

The 4 main actions halotherapy has on the body are:

• purifying the respiratory passages
• strengthening the immune system
• detoxifying the body
• regeneration of skin and mucous membranes

There are some contraindications to salt therapy: hypertension, lung cancer, recent heart attack or stroke, hyperthyroidism, pregnancy. If you are claustrophobic, it is also advised to avoid the salt mines. Some spas in United States have recreated the atmospheric environment of a salt mine, and this is a good way to experience the benefits of halo therapy. But if you get a chance to visit the salt mines, it is quite an experience!

In great health,
Dr. Sanda

The post What I Learned From My Summer Trip – Halotherapy appeared first on Dr. Sanda Moldovan.

It is successful because it is highly resistant to corrosion and the cells love to attach to its surface, a phenomenon seen under high-resolution microscopy. The most common risk associated with dental implant placement is infection, especially since there’s a high number of bacteria in the oral cavity. The risk of infection can be minimized by taking a prophylactic antibiotic one hour prior to your procedure and sometimes even for a few days following your procedure.

But what about a titanium allergy? Some practitioners believe that the titanium allergy does not exist. An allergic reaction is an excessive immune reaction when coming in contact with a certain substance. Some researchers believe that if a patient suffers from multiple metal allergies, then they have more of a likelihood to develop a titanium hypersensitivity. It is advisable that if you have multiple metal allergies to get tested in order to avoid failure of an implied due to an allergic reaction to titanium.

In the 14 years I’ve been practicing, I have never seen a true titanium allergy. A dental implant fails either due to infection or overload, very rarely due to an allergy to titanium. Very few tests are available to determine the titanium allergy. The most accurate to date is MELISA test, which is a blood test. However, this fast can you give false positives.

If someone is allergic to titanium, then I recommend zirconia dental implants or non-metal dental implants. Zirconia dental implants are actually ceramic dental implants, they are not metal. Because they are ceramic, they can break more easily than the titanium. Because of this, we see a higher failure rate of that zirconia implants when compared to the titanium dental implants.

With advances in technology, this will change. Since we have so much more research about titanium dental implants, I do recommend these instead of the zirconia dental implants, because they generally last longer.

The post When to Choose Titanium vs Zirconia Dental Implants appeared first on Dr. Sanda Moldovan.

The new survey lists unpleasant activities Americans would choose over flossing: washing a sink full of dirty dishes (18 percent) or waiting in a long check-out line (14 percent). Nearly one in ten U.S. adults would rather sit in gridlock traffic for an hour or do their taxes (9 percent each).

If you were to pick one, flossing is more important than brushing. Just imagine you are washing your hands, but never clean in between the fingers. How would you feel? Your hands would start to smell after a while, just like bad breath can develop if regular flossing is avoided. Lack of flossing can lead to gum disease or periodontal disease, which is a chronic inflammatory disease caused when bacteria in plaque below the gum line lead to swelling, irritation, and possibly receding gums and tooth loss. Periodontal disease has been linked to many chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, erectile dysfunction, Alzheimer’s disease, and even cancer. Periodontal disease is hardly ever discussed, resulting in a lack of urgency for people to take action in treating it, probably because it doesn’t hurt, even in it’s advanced stages.

According to the survey, among the top 10 U.S. markets, Chicagoans are more likely to opt for an hour of gridlock traffic over daily flossing. However, New Yorkers are more likely than those in other metro areas to include flossing in their personal care routine. When i work in New York, I do find floss on the street more often than in LA!

What about the South? Those who live in Atlanta are more likely than those in other top metro regions to be honest with their dentist about their flossing routine. Atlantans also are more likely than those in other top metro regions to tell friends when they have something stuck in their teeth. On the contrary, those who live in D.C. are more likely than those in other top metro regions not to alert a friend of any potentially embarrassing lunch leftovers.

So how do we treat gum disease today? There are more than 500 bacterial species that can be found in plaque, and brushing alone does not remove the bacteria that live below the gum line, especially once periodontal disease has set in. Poor oral hygiene is a primary cause of periodontal disease, but several other risk factors play a role in the development and progression of the disease including smoking, age, and genetics. The earlier we treat it, the better the results. In my office, I treat periodontal disease with laser gum surgery, which is much more comfortable than the traditional procedures. I also use ozone to eliminate the bacteria which live inside the bone, tissue and teeth. With an appropriate diagnosis and treatment, the damage from periodontal disease is reversible in many cases.

For more information on flossing contact Dr. Sanda Moldovan to schedule a consultation.

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